I might be moving my family to Phoenix for a new job. There's so many cities within a 30-45 min commute. Can anyone tell me what areas "not" to be looking at? Thanks in advance
May be moving to Phoenix
- Thread starter snakedoctor
- Start date
What area are you working in? Phoenix metro is huge so you'll need to be more specific.
Generally speaking Chandler, North Scottsdale, Cave Creek, North Phoenix, Fountain Hills, and northern Peoria are nice. Mesa, Tempe, and Glendale can be rough. Central Phoenix has areas like the central corridor that are nice but they're flanked by sunnyslope, merryvale, and central Phoenix which are rough.
Generally speaking Chandler, North Scottsdale, Cave Creek, North Phoenix, Fountain Hills, and northern Peoria are nice. Mesa, Tempe, and Glendale can be rough. Central Phoenix has areas like the central corridor that are nice but they're flanked by sunnyslope, merryvale, and central Phoenix which are rough.
The job would be with IHS which I believe is in the center of Phoenix. I'm not sure how bad the traffic situation is but I would like to keep my commute under 45 minutes.
As a end user of IHS, I want to thank you for choosing to service the Native American community.
It looks like IHS is downtown. North Phoenix and the Central corridor/uptown are your best bets to avoid crippling traffic. The value per dollar isn't in any area within a reasonable drive.
North Phoenix is mostly suburbia. Homes void of personality, small lots, with a sprinkling of horse properties here an there. The 51 makes short work of a downtown commute to IHS and you'll avoid much of downtown's traffic jams. Quick access to really nice weekend hot spots like Kierland Commons, Cave Creek, and North Scottsdale. Lots of parks for kids and the best schools if you have children. This area used to be affordable but no more. The lifestyle here is very cookie cutter and meh.
Central/uptown is a really nice area. Old homes, small lots, grass yards and trees, but heavily democrat. That's your best bet for commuting. That area has top notch restaurants, quick access to the best of downtown's offerings too. It's in the middle of a few freeways so it's relatively quick to get around. Some areas of Phoenix are nice but getting to freeways for commuting can be a hassle. The downside is its proximity to downtown and sunnyslope's problems. It doesn't take much to venture into the homeless and bad areas of town.
The Cave Creek, Chandler, East Mesa, Peoria, Buckeye area, and Chandler have good bang for the buck (relatively speaking) but the commutes are rough with most putting you in standstill freeway traffic every day. You have a chance at getting larger land and the areas are nice and offer a more conservative lifestyle. Most sane folks that aren't filthy rich prefer to be out in these areas.
Honestly, Phoenix has turned into a shithole and I'd look elsewhere if possible. My son anchors me here, otherwise I'd be gone.
North Phoenix is mostly suburbia. Homes void of personality, small lots, with a sprinkling of horse properties here an there. The 51 makes short work of a downtown commute to IHS and you'll avoid much of downtown's traffic jams. Quick access to really nice weekend hot spots like Kierland Commons, Cave Creek, and North Scottsdale. Lots of parks for kids and the best schools if you have children. This area used to be affordable but no more. The lifestyle here is very cookie cutter and meh.
Central/uptown is a really nice area. Old homes, small lots, grass yards and trees, but heavily democrat. That's your best bet for commuting. That area has top notch restaurants, quick access to the best of downtown's offerings too. It's in the middle of a few freeways so it's relatively quick to get around. Some areas of Phoenix are nice but getting to freeways for commuting can be a hassle. The downside is its proximity to downtown and sunnyslope's problems. It doesn't take much to venture into the homeless and bad areas of town.
The Cave Creek, Chandler, East Mesa, Peoria, Buckeye area, and Chandler have good bang for the buck (relatively speaking) but the commutes are rough with most putting you in standstill freeway traffic every day. You have a chance at getting larger land and the areas are nice and offer a more conservative lifestyle. Most sane folks that aren't filthy rich prefer to be out in these areas.
Honestly, Phoenix has turned into a shithole and I'd look elsewhere if possible. My son anchors me here, otherwise I'd be gone.
What does the commute from Chandler look like?
Traffic going to/from work will be absolutely ****ed around Tempe (college town). my second house is in gilbert and when I used to commute to the office (also in PHX) it would take me 45+ mins on the freeway to travel 18 miles. And if theres college football, it'll be even worse. If I were you, I'd probably try to swing something in south scottsdale if at all possible. It's pricey but its a good spot to be in regarding low crime, close to activities and dining, far enough away from the college town, etc.
23 miles of highway, much of it gridlocked until you get clear of Tempe in the afternoon. In the morning it's bumper to bumper virtually the entire way. Google maps says 35 to 1:05 to the center of chandler but having taken that route for years I'd plan on worst case scenario almost every day.
There are four areas that get slammed with traffic. The i10 going to and from Buckeye/Tollesian/Surprise, the downtown stack/tunnel, the i17, and the i10 from the salt river through Tempe. You're running through two of them to get to and from Chandler.
There are four areas that get slammed with traffic. The i10 going to and from Buckeye/Tollesian/Surprise, the downtown stack/tunnel, the i17, and the i10 from the salt river through Tempe. You're running through two of them to get to and from Chandler.
South Scottsdale's not a bad area to look in either. The 60 isn't too bad of a commute. The 51 corridor offers similar prices with a shorter commute and the ability to bypass freeways all together though. My grandmother is in that area and investors are starting to drive the prices through the roof though so that might have changed since I looked last. Phoenix is the poster child for investors ruining markets IMO.
I imagine everyone on this board lives on acreage with tons of garage space and space between neighbors and their souls would shrivel up and die in any of these places out there. Most car guys I know are on the outskirts where there's room to stretch out.
I would only do the 51 corridor if we're talking east of the 51 and south of the mountain preserve (by the biltmore). North of the mountain preserve is alright around cave creek and thunderbird, but the other areas I've been in over there are too close to the ghetto for me. I drove the trackhawk through there a few months ago and was thinking theres no way I'm parking this car anywhere around here or it won't be here when I get back to it.
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I'm north of the mountain preserve near Paradise Valley and it's a great area. As you move NW things get rougher. Every other direction gets swanky. There are a few "magic" zip codes around here. Phoenix address with Scottsdale schools or Scottsdale address with Phoenix taxes. I'm 18 minutes from downtown, 15 to arcadia, 10 to Scottsdale, and 15 to Cave Creek/Desert Ridge. It's a great location from a commuting standpoint. There are a ton of horse properties too. The car guys build garages on them. Those lots rarely go up for sale and when they do they're both expensive and snatched up quick by investors.
I used to live in the Biltmore/Arcadia area. Everyone's getting priced out of anything decent there. The houses aren't even going on the market, they get bought off listing and immediately get torn down. Watching investors rape neighborhoods here is demoralizing.
I was referencing the 51 corridor south of Glendale around Bethany Home. Houses were all built in the 50's and they're very quite neighborhoods. Move either direction away from the 51 and things get really nice, really quick.
Ha,
Yeah. Traffic isn't bad. I think people make way to big a deal about it. Hit the road before 6:30am and it's practically traffic free. Hit it at +7:30am, yeah, it's slow but always moving a long.
The entire area is weird when it comes to ghettos. Lots of small nice neighborhood areas in Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, South Mountain and Chandler. However, go over 3-4 streets and it's like meathead zombie 3rd world murder ally.
I hate visiting West & North of Town. South East Valley is where it's at. Gilbert and Queen Creek are diversity free and I can't recall seeing any zombies in that area either.
Place has changed a lot in 10 years and FJB/Covid has made it nearly impossible to afford.
$250k houses are now $600k in just 4 years. Rent is $2k+. $350k gets you a pre-fab in the ghetto. Gasoline is more expensive then California (we're at $4.95-5.15/gallon right now California is at $4.45).
That said. **** the Midwest, **** snow.
I am down here for training/orientation for a new job for the week and my god. Going through wikieup and wickenburg I thought it was just due to the towns being in the middle of nowhere that made their gas pricey but the cheapest I found for 91 was $5.20 in tempe…it’s 3.79 for 91 up by me.
However guns are way cheaper here in tempe than up in kingman/mohave county. I may make me make a poor financial decision if I can find what I am looking for lol
If you are willing to commute, the Buckeye area is nice and growing. It's in the far west valley.
There are definitely specific neighborhoods to consider and avoid.
I have lived here for about 10 1/2 years and would recommend Verrado. It's a master planned community that is so different from most of the Phoenix area. You can look it up online and see what it has to offer.
Parts of Chandler and Gilbert are nice as well, I just really like being on the Westside.
It really comes down to a few questions:
1. How much are you willing to commute?
2. What is your budget?
3. Is there a quality school within the above parameters?
There are definitely specific neighborhoods to consider and avoid.
I have lived here for about 10 1/2 years and would recommend Verrado. It's a master planned community that is so different from most of the Phoenix area. You can look it up online and see what it has to offer.
Parts of Chandler and Gilbert are nice as well, I just really like being on the Westside.
It really comes down to a few questions:
1. How much are you willing to commute?
2. What is your budget?
3. Is there a quality school within the above parameters?
If it's a good job maybe give it a chance but the southwest is horrible as far as weather and home prices and crowds. I lived in Vegas for 30 years and could not wait to leave the area. I laugh at the babies who can't handle a little cold or snow.
Generally, if the address has "Avenue" in it, be careful until the numbers get really really high. Verrado is mentioned above, that's a super nice area but I had a coworker who lived there and we used to joke that his commute to downtown was like coming from East LA.
The market is expanding exponentially to the Southeast, so, east Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, SanTan are all the hot new 'burbs. "North Central" Phoenix up the Central corridor between 7th Street and 7th Ave north of about Camelback or Missouri are very nice, older, ranch-style homes with beautiful trees and lawns and big lots, good schools, but pricey. And bounded by shit like Blown 89 says.
One thing I've always found odd about Phoenix is, you can't generally tell you're in an absolute shit neighborhood like you can pretty much everywhere else because there aren't porches falling off houses and weed-filled yards.
Ahwatukee aka "All White Tukee" is definitely worth looking into but nothing around here is as it was 10, 20 years ago. I live in "So Bland it Hurts" at the south end of this "realistic" map of Pheonix LOL.
The market is expanding exponentially to the Southeast, so, east Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, SanTan are all the hot new 'burbs. "North Central" Phoenix up the Central corridor between 7th Street and 7th Ave north of about Camelback or Missouri are very nice, older, ranch-style homes with beautiful trees and lawns and big lots, good schools, but pricey. And bounded by shit like Blown 89 says.
One thing I've always found odd about Phoenix is, you can't generally tell you're in an absolute shit neighborhood like you can pretty much everywhere else because there aren't porches falling off houses and weed-filled yards.
Ahwatukee aka "All White Tukee" is definitely worth looking into but nothing around here is as it was 10, 20 years ago. I live in "So Bland it Hurts" at the south end of this "realistic" map of Pheonix LOL.
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Chandler is huge, so a big fat "it depends" is in order. But they are more than halfway through a giant I-10 improvement project that should help the biggest cluster**** between most things Chandler and downtown Phoenix.
Chandler has a huge Intel facillity, and with it comes lots of money and lots of south asians. Then it has a corridor of Little Mexico around Arizona Ave between the 202 and downtown Chandler that should be avoided. Then east/southeast of there it's good clean suburbia for miles.
That map is too accurate to be considered sarcasm.Generally, if the address has "Avenue" in it, be careful until the numbers get really really high. Verrado is mentioned above, that's a super nice area but I had a coworker who lived there and we used to joke that his commute to downtown was like coming from East LA.
The market is expanding exponentially to the Southeast, so, east Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, SanTan are all the hot new 'burbs. "North Central" Phoenix up the Central corridor between 7th Street and 7th Ave north of about Camelback or Missouri are very nice, older, ranch-style homes with beautiful trees and lawns and big lots, good schools, but pricey. And bounded by shit like Blown 89 says.
One thing I've always found odd about Phoenix is, you can't generally tell you're in an absolute shit neighborhood like you can pretty much everywhere else because there aren't porches falling off houses and weed-filled yards.
Ahwatukee aka "All White Tukee" is definitely worth looking into but nothing around here is as it was 10, 20 years ago. I live in "So Bland it Hurts" at the south end of this "realistic" map of Pheonix LOL.
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